


3 times Masumi 'proposed'

by Hawkkitty44



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: 3 + 1, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Pining, Will update tags, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28932027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkkitty44/pseuds/Hawkkitty44
Summary: and the 1 time he did
Relationships: Tachibana Izumi/Usui Masumi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. Rehearsal

_During a rehearsal_

The room was alive in the buzz of practice, spare bits of cloth ready to be resized was in random corners. Was Yuki awake? She hadn’t seen the young boy walk in, hadn’t even heard him yell at Tenma for stepping on the rare bit of silk the green hair boy was allowed to buy. In fact the meeting seemed to have been going rather well. Around the room people either walked around or sat with their scripts. It was oddly peaceful.

And well who would blame the sometimes hot headed crew for behaving in such a calmed manner, it was almost time for many of them to go to sleep for school the next day. Another day another practise going over the promised time limit. Though this was not for a single troupe the upcoming play was buzzed about just as much as one that was. Was it something about the script? If Izumi was honest (she tried to be for the sake of the boys and her own sanity) she hadn’t even gotten to read this particular script yet. 

No Tsuzuru had promised he would put the script on her desk sometime yesterday but well. Looking to the boys around her it would seem they were at the very least comfortable to explore it even if she herself had no idea. Okay, this was a lesser play so she could give them a bit of control on this one. Was that being an irresponsible manager? She hadn’t exactly gotten a guide on how to replace her father. Of course that stung, the memory of her father conducting such practises felt so far away from her it was hard to imagine…

Eyes gazing around it was always important to ground herself when these thoughts. These feelings came bubbling to the surface. There was the sound of the actors, the feeling of her shoes comfortable in her late night shoe attire and the sight of her boys sitting and standing was enough to bring her into an ease. Breathe in and out, breathe in and out. Collecting breaths felt easier than they were a few years earlier thankfully.

One thing did bother her however, as much as it pained her to think the absence of him made her feel uncertain. Lonely? Her emotions to Masumi felt complicated and odd. The young man was so open and eager to impress her-- beyond the other boys it was hard to imagine how to start to help him grow as an actor yet. Well, he also had the kind of smile she couldn’t stop thinking about. His attitude while hard to manage was soothing and comforting after years without such a voice in her life.

And well, of course he was not here, well of course being why was he not here?. Ever since the first meeting they had met the purple eyed boy went to every practise, every meeting and session with diligence and ease. His eyes felt so heavy at every one of them, every interaction they had his eyes were sleepy yet alert. Always on her. Or well when someone said anything romantic sounding at her on them. Oh young love, it was a fickle thing.

So why did she feel a bit panicked tonight? The tightness in her chest was only because she was not confident in her script knowledge. That was all. Masumi had worked hard the night before, hell the same morning as the current day to practise. But this was a new script, this was something he had to attend…

Wiping her face with her hand with a tired fever she tried to ease her thoughts. That was of course when Masumi walked in, rather slowly yet with a stride she was not overly able to remember. Hair mused back he looked like a movie star. No. maybe a young man on a date soon? His cool purple eyes search for her, they always do and he settles on her. 

That smile, it felt like a sort of hello and goodbye all in one. Still she was currently teaching them so she gave a wave, yet well she couldn't help but look annoyed at his late arrival. How was he the last to arrive? Strolling over to her he doesn’t stop till she can smell his cologne up close. It is stronger than it needs to be, he doesn’t need something like that for practise at all...Teenagers were beyond her at this point. 

“I’m sorry it took longer to get my stuff together than I thought” saying this in his usual eager soft tone he pressed his words into her with no sense of holding back.

“Apologise to them, i know you can arrive at meetings better than this so I’m not the one you need to convince” saying this tiredly it is hard to lecture someone when they look at you like every word you say is gospel.

“I don’t care what they think”

“That’s the thing! You need to Masumi”

He shrugs and looks like he has heard it before. Well he had. She had told him this before! Still when he tilts his head like that she can’t for the life of her stay annoyed when he does something like that. Sighing, she simply points to the practising Tsuzuru who has no current partner.

As he walks away a bit dejected she strolls to the chair she had been meaning to sit on for a while. It feels nice to sit, her hands feel less shaky as she embraces the comfort of the chair. Watching over the group her eyes settle on Masumi quite often, it would appear him and Tsuzuru were having a conversation. What conversation? It didn’t seem to be play related. Not that it mattered. This was the first meeting so she wouldn’t be too harsh on them…

Looking away the last thing she expects to see as she goes to tuck her hair behind her ear is for a pale larger one to do it for her. Oh. Heart almost leaping out of her chest she looks with wide eyes at Masumi who is now on the ground, well kneeling. On one knee... What was this conversation?

“The manager of my heart and career, the only woman who I want to embrace, to hold. Will you allow me to call you mine forever till the day we both shall die?” saying this it felt more passionate than any role he had ever played. More rehearsed and thought through.

Unsure of what to do with the appearance of the ring, the seemingly real heirloom ring in his hand made this exchange harder to chew and understand. 

“Sorry Masumi there is too much going on to think about this kind of thing…” Saying this awkwardly there is clearly no way to say this without letting him down. Would this break his heart? Or perhaps this would make him give up on her. Did she want that? Well yes it would be nice to be able to direct but...Well she was fearful to look into his eyes.

There is silence than the sound of him standing up. Looking to him she expects to see heartbreak? Annoyance? Something? But there is nothing but determination, the rare look that makes her heart beat too fast. 

“I will make you able to give me the answer we want” is what he says, “I love you so much I can manage that much”. It feels like a promise to them both. 

Unsure of what to do beside nod the other trails away to talk to Yuki seemingly. Slumping on the chair she barely notices when Tsuzuru is standing next to her. He looks down at her worried, awkward.

“Sorry Masumi asked me to make you two being married apart from the script” saying this evenly he seemed to regret feeding into the others strong will. 

Oh it was just a script thing. That was good. It was! This could still pass off as just another one of his reckless attempts at first love! She could handle that. 

“Why don’t you go back there and continue practising, also I do need the script” teasingly adding the last bit to hide her uncertainty. 

He nods and promises as he will as he goes after where Masumi was.

It was not just a script thing, maybe just young foolish desire. The ring looked too personal. But right now. There couldn’t be more than what they are.  
  


  
  
  
  
  



	2. Summer training camp

_Summer training camp_

The sweltering heat of summer was happily welcomed by the members of the troupes. Though the seasons that had since gone by the Mankai company couldn’t quite seem to shake the horror of the pipes freezing over from the year before. It had been two years since the last summer training camp, though the organisation of the event improved it didn’t always feel like it. 

This year however it felt even more special, some of the troupes besides the summer one had happily raised their hands to participate. Thanks to Tenma’s extra campaigning for funds it would seem the old summer spot was not quite where they were going to go no. Instead of the old place they had rented a nice enough beach located spot in Okinawa. 

Did this make organizing the boys into where they should and should not be in time for practise? Yes. undoubtedly without a question the young brown haired woman had never had to throw away as many swimming toys as she would now ever again but it would be worth it in the end. After all, who knows when they would do a play about being at the beach? Maybe the salty ocean air could inspire a sort of pirate like story again...Okay if she was realistic she also wanted to bury her toes in the warm uncracked sand of the private beach.

She was human. Sue her okay. 

So as the week went on and the allure of the beach got too much she made them a promise. If they were to truly unite and show her that this training trip had in fact helped them bond she would make the last day a free roaming day. And maybe she was extra encouraging as she helped organise them during those days. Seemingly not minding or, hopefully rising to the challenge they all seemed to relish and keenly look forward to the prospect of spending the day at the beach.

So that was how she was here, her feet sinking into the best sand she had been near in maybe her life so far on the beach. The crashing waves in front of her felt more like calming music than something she saw before her but that didn’t really matter. Well it just showed how relaxing it was right? The sunset in the distance melded into the water, creating a sunset so beautiful it was like it was lifted from a painting.

Brushing the sweat from away from her forehead it was odd how the heat had kept till even now, however the soft breezes brought her the feeling the night would not be so hot. It was a matter of time before the night chill set in. Plenty of time to drink a smoothie, yeah Izumi had seen just a couple hours ago a drink stand further down the beach in the area that was open to the public. That would do finely.

So wrapping the towel she had on her shoulder around her hips she hid the bottom half of the plain pink bikini she had convinced herself into buying. Well buying was strong way to put it, Yuki had her size and made something. Still, the frills on it had made him happy so she wore it. Making sure the knot would not falter she walks ahead, drink in mind and a thirst on her tongue. 

However it only took a couple steps for her gaze to meet purple eyes. Ever so steady, her so present no matter where she seemed to go. Of course once this trip was open to everyone he would come along, heck she even caught him trying to hide in her car the last few years when he couldn’t openly attend the event. Though that didn’t make the shock of seeing Masumi any less apparent to her.

He was taller than he was when she first met him, it felt impossible for that to be the case but he could easily put his head on top of hers. Though he aged Masumi never seemed to get any spots or any of the negative aspects of aging. His pale soft handsome skin she envied yet admired stayed the same, though if she was to answer a fangirls question yes he got more handsome, his eyes seemed less cold. More shimmering than the first year. However as the touches he gaze once so casually (calling them casual felt like a lie, they never felt super casual) they felt more experimental, daring, wanting. 

So as his eyes searched her body she tried not to note how his eyes looked to where her towel was, down to her legs back to her face. He seemed okay, he had gotten a little better at the whole being jealous thing but well. The other still needed practice on where he should look and well, the jealousy of others looking rather than just talking as well. 

“I know you would probably be thirsty so I got you a drink” Saying this he shocked her as he held up a drink. Oh, she didn’t even notice he had anything in his hand to begin with? Was it behind his back the entire time. 

Not arguing or wanting to question too much she gestured for him to follow her back to her spot on the beach. It was quiet, away from the troupe members who should really run out the rest of their energy for the trip. Well everyone but Masumi seemed to take to heart the whole sticking together with the other troupe member thing quite well it would seem.

Taking a sip of her drink she is quite surprised yet not surprised at all that it was her favourite. Hell it even had the right amount of every ingredient even though she sometimes liked to get picky about the ratio of fruit to ice and milk. Yet he remembered, how? Well she didn’t know or want to know for the moment. 

Having a drink of his own he drank and said nothing. There was nothing really needed to be said she was supposed enjoying her own drink. Well except for when the silence turned into him being comfortable enough to bump their thighs together happily.

“I don’t know how many more Summers we will have together like this” saying this it felt like the first time he implied something would change between them. That they wouldn’t be together anymore.

Not knowing what to say for a moment Izumi just looks to the sunset, ever so pretty yet always so fleeting and unique. 

“Who knows with the future I guess, but Masumi thank you for what you’ve done for the troupe” she meant it she did and as she looked to his response she knew he understood.

“I think you should marry me. Help us decide what kind of future we want together”. 

His hands search for hers and as much as she is interested she cannot let him find them so she hides them. 

“Masumi there’s too much to do” replying ever so unsure she looks to the crashing waves.

“I’ll wait”

The last thing she wanted was for him to wait for her, wasting the rest of his high school life waiting for something he might never get. Yet. Taking a breath she wills a smile to his face.

“Okay, you’ll wait”.

The smile she sees in the corner of her eyes is prettier than any sky view.


	3. Curtain call

_ Curtain call  _

  
  


“Okay so if you’re thirsty the water bottles are on the left okay guys” saying this ever so quickly Izumi is ever so jumping on the heel of her foot to get the troupe's attention.

Though it is ever so slightly difficult to yell directions to them, the sound of applause feels deafening as the crowd digests the performance they had just witnessed during the night. The clapping felt more like thunder, a reaction of a storm they themselves were in the centre of creating. How did so many people start attending their plays? It was hard to watch the numbers when her boys seemed to take up so much of her time. 

At moments like this, when they were covered in sweats and smiles. Well, surely all the nights they put into this was worth it. There was no reason for doubt when they looked at her with such keen and excitable eyes. Maybe it was the adrenaline but their eyes seemed just a little more open and eager than usual, the way they bumped and joked with each other under their breathes in hushed whispers felt less controlled than their usual pre curtain call walk out. As long as they kept some of that energy from when they were out there with the fans she didn’t mind, they could ease themselves surely behind here.

Well everyone seemed so unusually energised except for Masumi. Looking at him he was close to her, well her and the table. Though it was hard to say the table when he was looking at her so intently. Where everyone else felt like live wires (even Itaru to a certain degree, however lazily he was laughing awkwardly along to Citron’s odd humour) Masumi felt like a charging battery. Spilling over with heat, yet none of the less collected. Gathering, on the verge of an explosion and reaction. Adjusting herself so she can lean down to grab a water bottle for herself she can’t ignore how Masumi copies her actions to grab one of his own.

Even with the noise of the theatre and the troupe around her the sound of him uncapping his water feels oddly louder and more purposeful. Follow suit she opens her bottle up and presses the thing to her lips. The water is cool and soothing as she quickly gulps it down, while she isn’t the one who is going to be going on stage soon she likes to watch them. And as she looks up from her water bottle she knows that Masumi would worry if she didn’t.

“Hard to imagine this is your last show for a while Masumi” Saying this to fill the slight silence it doesn’t feel too strange to be the first one to talk now. He was a little bit older, easier to talk to. And well, when she talked she felt like she could handle the intensity of his stare a little better than if she did not say anything.

“It’s going to be too long till we can do this, I don’t want to give up performing for you for even a moment you know” saying this it feels like he is begging her to understand everything as clearly as she can. 

Nodding she thinks she at least understands it better than she had the first few years. Also it was hard to not understand what it meant for the other to have to move overseas. Some part of her reasoned that it made sense for his parents to eventually call, give him some overseas opportunity before taking him away. They were more than likely absentee parents but they were business people, and well as much as it ached to think he was something they could consider usable. 

“Overseas playwright companies don’t come knocking too often you know right?” she lightly lectures but her voice feels barely there as she says this. Perhaps she can blame the noise of the crowd, her heart beating so fast it felt hard to breathe was probably also because of the crowd. 

Though if she was honest the opportunity could come up again due to his families connections she didn’t want to risk that for him. For this opportunity for his family to be there for him to vanish and for him to end up with no family all over again. Though as she looked at him behind the dimmed lights it was hard to know if it was just her projecting or something the other wanted.

“I don’t care, the other companies don’t have someone even half as amazing as you” insisting he seemed to have sobered up to this conversation even more so. 

“You already have your plane tickets Masumi” 

“I could always give them to Itaru?”

“Why would Itaru want plane tickets? He has a full time job and no plans for a holiday” questioning him she raises a brow however amused.

“I don’t know he is the weirdest adult I've ever seen he’d probably do something with them” sounding less and less sure of himself it feels like he is giving up on this conversation himself. 

So she turns around to look away, the curtain would be lifting on them soon enough. Crunching the water bottle slightly under her hand she tries to breathe and relax. But well relaxing feels really hard when her breaths are already feeling so uncertain and out of it. As she begins to try to count and observe the things around her she feels a hand engulf her. Ever so steady and pressing her hand to hold the bottle. 

“I could stay here, help you with the company” Masumi proclaims, promises? “Just say you will marry me and I promise I won’t leave you”. 

Like on the beach she knows she cannot accept this. There isn’t a high school life for him left, he had graduated before the play. However. There were still chances out there beyond her, and for the life of her the young woman did not want Masumi to miss out on anything. 

“Just send me home some souvenirs please” putting it simply she swallows thickly and looks at him. 

His hand moves away from hers so slowly. The warmth that felt so familiar yet distant gone leaving her missing the brief contact. However he does not move away, if anything he takes a step closer to her. A hand goes into costume pockets (of course Yuki made pockets on a stage costume even when there were no props in the play) and searches for something. What he did pull out shocked her, it wasn’t quite the same ring he had tried to give her years before. But well, the purple heart shaped jewel in the middle was beautiful.

“Just wait for me then, keep waiting for me”, requesting this in perhaps the softest way he had spoken to her yet his eyes cannot seem to find hers for a second. They of course do and the amount of fear and hope makes her freeze.

The curtain is coming up and Citron is strolling over and putting his arm around Masumi to drag him to the stage. He doesn’t go easy but the other male seems to not mind dragging him along to the audience’s awaiting gaze. Fingers trailing to the clasps she manages to put it on before the boys have a chance to be on the ready for the curtain. Speaking of the curtain she rushes to her spot and waits with bated breath. 

Somehow the crowd is louder, and the cheering echoes harsher on the Mankai company walls. Yet even among that she finds herself lost in the cool comfort of the necklace between her fingers. A heavy gaze is on her and she finds herself unsurprisingly catching Masumi’s gaze. With a smile she gives him a thumbs up.

Sure the curtains were closing on this play, but well there was always another one around the corner.


	4. + 1

_ \+ 1 _

  
  


Snow piled up on the Makai company windows heavily and so quickly it felt like Izumi missed the transition from autumn to winter completely. It was their fifth winter in the dorms, and while some of the members were off on vacations and going home to family most of the troupe members remained. Thankfully along with the increase of sales and ongoing fans they had long cleaned and repaired the heating system of the building. Yet, well there was always a lonely feeling to the building now the purple eyed young man was gone.

It had been over a year since she had since Masumi performed on stage, a couple days later he was on his flight to meet with his family and then the new company to which he would train at for a while. The Christmas that had passed the year prior he was too busy and unable to arrive back, there were tentative plans for him to return. She knew that much, but well the rest of the company felt it was best for him to have room to grow. Though they all worried for Masumi’s sake there were whispers of hopes that maybe he could grow without her, not hate her or grow to dislike her but find his own way without having to be stitched to her side.

At times like this as she sat facing out the window it was when she remembered how lonely her steps felt. Her shadow felt so small without the ever familiar one a couple steps behind it. Once he had told her he always had his eyes on her, always was by her side. Lightly tugging at the necklace on her neck she sighed tiredly. Well it was hard to argue that he was lying back in those days now she could contrast her life with and without him. Holding the hot chocolate Omi had made for her she sniffs it before she drinks it.

It tasted different, sweeter. Though she hadn’t been allowed to go into the kitchen to make dinners for some time now she didn’t remember when they had started to stock such sweet and rich chocolate powder. It didn’t even really taste like powder, the way the soft brown coloured liquid went down her throat it felt like someone had taken the time to melt the chocolate down themselves. Omi didn’t have time for that however, the kind young man with that ever familiar facial scar was helping winter troupe in a practice. 

Still who was she to complain if she had a drink that tasted beyond what she had before, she could and would be grateful for this delicious distraction of a drink. Wrapping her hand around the cup firmer she hears what can only be said to be a door closing near her. How unusual, her eyes are wide as she scans carefully yet quickly the doors in the hall around her. Though they were not all at practice the boys that were present in the dorms didn’t seem to be around the hall. Maybe someone had snuck in…

With Misumi in mind she moves from her spot and begins to actively look at each door, trying to figure out which ones had been open or closed when she walked in. But well, when she picked up the hot drink alone from the kitchen and went here it seemed like there was no door open to begin with. Just as her pace begins to slow down she smells it, how did she not smell it earlier she wondered as it hit her.

It was a curry, not one she was overly familiar with but the warm hot smell was something she could identify even if it was from another planet. Her stomach grumbles and suddenly the drink in her hand is suddenly empty. Surely if anyone were to make curry they would know she would beg for some right? Mouth watering it is as if the curry had given her a map to the location of it as she walked over.

The door felt like one of the heaviest doors in her life as she opened it. If the smell of the hall was something that knocked her out this was beyond her to handle. The room was decored in only what could be described as the most down to earth christmas decor. While the walls were slightly outlined in tinsel the table had a few small christmas trees and fairy lights dancing in between. The blinking soft lights popping in multiple fluro colours against the ever so lightly lit room.

However it was not the sight of the fresh bread, nor the drinks that bubbled ever so temptly that truly made her think she was dreaming. On the chair facing the door sat a man with his arms popping him up so he could face the wall. The face that seemed so much more mature yet still just as youthful. Masumi. His hair while a bit tidier still had the usual dye job, his shimmering purple eyes still held the same intense intent as he gazed at her. 

Without needing to be invited she walked over to the table, the spread alone helping her speed walk rather than run. And well, her heart beating her so quickly added as Masumi seemingly didn’t even blink as he watched her. For a moment there was no other noise but their breaths, the sound of her pulling back the chair goes too quickly and her settling in is faster yet. Everything feels like it echoes. 

“Masumi I thought you were busy” Izumi chokes out ever so confused, but he doesn’t seem bothered or worried as he watches her under thick eye lashes. “This-this is amazing!” and then she remembers she has a cup in her hands so she puts that down. 

Grabbing her plate in front of her she piles on the food, lightly groaning with pleased taste as the curry is ever so spicy and pleasant. This curry was made by hand, no mix rather the person who made it truly knew which spices to put in together. While she couldn’t bring to mind some of the spices that had been chosen she knew she needed to find them out and buy them. She would one way or another. 

Slabbing some butter on her bread she puts a thick layer of curry on it before stuffing her mouth with it. Another groan leaves her lips and this time for some reason she looks up to Masumi only to blush. He looked so much more hungry in his gaze than he had years prior. Oh, she was acting inappropriately.

“Oh I'm sorry, er are you going to eat anything Masumi?”

“Maybe later” he replies, not even attempting to look at the food as he does so.

“You need to tell me where you bought this from! I have never had curry like this” she rushes ever so happily, her mouth once again filling with the food. 

“I made it, while I was gone I finally managed to make a curry that could be worthy of your sight let alone your mouth” admitting this he seemed like he had waited to say that for a while.

Not choking on the food but still surprised Izumi’s eyes go wide as she takes in what he had said. Oh, it was no wonder he was with the food if he had also made it… Well she was proud of him so she wouldn’t let this factor deter her from praising him.

“Well you must have learned from the best this is incredible! You definitely need to teach me how you make it before you go” the last part feels weaker said than the rest. Her voice failed her at the end. She had just met up with him and yet it already felt like she was going to pack his bags again.

“Well I'm not going anywhere so unless you are we have time” he says this softly, with a smile only he had while looking at her. 

One of her hands moves from the bowel and the food to her necklace hiding in her shirt. Oh. Heart beat going impossibly faster it is hard to break her gaze away from the other. As if he could see past her shirt (well hopefully not that well see past her shirt) she feels his hand grab her hand before she sees it. Hand ever so larger and warm he wraps his around hers before he lifts it up. Uncurling her hand he gazes upon the necklace with interest, his cheeks twinge and she knows he was probably thinking about it too. 

A soft kiss is planted on it, a small sort of kiss on her palm as well. 

“Masumi” her voice starts, she feels like a ghost rather than a human warm in his hand.

“Izumi marry me, please marry me. I don’t know how I survived while I was gone. I don’t know if I could stand another day without you as mine. Please, please marry me” his voice pleading and on the verge of negative emotions she hadn’t heard from him before (did he ever cry? The days of the troupe feel so distant). 

Of course he would never ask something simple like dating, he had perhaps proposed too many times for that option...Or perhaps he already saw that he was in love with her beyond that of a boyfriend and girlfriend. Looking at him, his headphones gone and his ever handsome face it was time she was supposed to give him an answer.

“I would love to marry you Masumi” answering she barely has enough time to finish it before his lips find hers and she is borderline dragged over the table. 

Thankfully the food nor decor was in the way and instead she finds himself in his lap. Wow how long did he engulf her like this? His head is on her shoulder and his breath is hot against her neck.

“You do?”

“I do” she promises her voice confident.

“Okay we’re married”.

“What”.

**Author's Note:**

> My first time diving into the A3 writing scene haha I hope you like. I plan to write a lot for this pairing and maybe some other ones!
> 
> A comment and kudos would make my day thank youu


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